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ancient middle eastern modes with the western sense of harmony so I have east and west to various degrees in each of my pieces, sometimes a lot more, sometimes a lot less, but that’s generally the simple formula for what I am doing.”
However, the melancholy which is found in even his happiest O
songs, doesn’t leave his live performances or albums as dark or gloomy. “I found that the music was the opportunity to express my heartbreak over a friend who’s passed away, or my utter joy when my daughter was born, or my expression of my history, the tragedies that my people have suffered and the joy of the hope of the future. So this is where I can express these things, and to me the great part is that, although the music is instrumental and so commercially very difficult to succeed that way… these melodies come out and all these different cultures relate to the melodies because there is no language barrier. That has given me a great opportunity to travel the world playing this ancient instrument that so many different cultures love. I couldn’t become more of a citizen of the world.”
ne of the timeless, heartbreaking Armenian pieces that, just like Ara, has travelled around the world is the folk song Yar Ko Parag. “I arranged that piece with another Armenian folk song called Bingeol as a medley, and recorded it for the first time with my
father. That recording became so influential that when Eleftheria heard it she said ‘Oh I have to record it’ so we did the exactly same arrangement and went on tour. And then Sezen Aksu, the great Turkish singer, had the same reaction so it was also record- ed in Turkish. And then other Armenian artists started recording those two songs together. So it kind of snowballed … I did not write it but I wish I did!” Ara says.
It doesn’t matter which language you hear that song in, the feeling is the same, it reaches out and embraces your heart in such a way that you only want to cry, in a good way of course. That feeling of the music of this traditional masterpiece, and how Ara has arranged it, is captured in the Greek lyrics of the song, written by Lina Nikolakopoulou, “Even if your soul cries, laugh for me!”
That’s what Ara Dinkjian’s music does.
www.aradinkjian.com
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